The most effective Graduate CV

You may or may not know that on average an employer or recruitment consultant will only spend around 30 seconds looking at a CV. It sounds cruel I know, considering how long you can spend crafting and forming the perfectly tailored CV, but in reality this is not only all the time they need to make a decision on short-listing, but it's also normally all the time they have when wading through piles of applications. So, how can you make yourself count? In short (excuse the pun) - bullet-point. Bullet-pointing information really helps the reader pick out the important information. It's much more difficult to find relevant skills in a body of text that they have to read word for word so make it easy for them. This is not to say that everything should be bullet-pointed as some subjects like your interests and hobbies can come across better in sentences. Just make sure your skills and experience are laid out in this 'easy to digest' format.

Don't Hesitate with Graduate Applications

If you see a job you like the look of (even if it's for graduate schemes starting at the end of your studies) don't hesitate, apply straight away even if they don't specify a closing date. A quick response looks good on your application and by the time they come around to sifting through cv's, yours will be at the top. You can also apply to employers that are not currently recruiting so you stay on file if something comes up. This is always appealing to an employer as it means they won't have to pay for advertising!

Smart Graduate Application Targeting

If you are finding it difficult to find graduate work why not try focusing on the thriving pockets of the economy: healthcare, renewable energy, biotech, telecommunications. If you can apply your skills to roles within these healthy industries you will increase your chances of finding work. Don't assume that if a company is situated in a particular sector, say in the Healthcare sector, then you need to have studied something health related to work there. Most large companies have departments spanning Finance, IT, Marketing, Sales, Research, HR...

Word of mouth - Graduate Networking

Are you networking as effectively as possible? Many jobs are not even posted online or elsewhere these days. Word-of-mouth and employee referral account for the vast amount of recruiting efforts. Make sure everyone you know is aware of what you are looking for and what you have to offer.